1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to image classification, and particularly, to a digital image classifying method and apparatus.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In recent years, the innovative and progressive image technology makes the market of digital image vigorously developed as well. At present, most of the pictures are taken in a digitized way (e.g., taken by a digital camera) and stored in a digitized format (e.g., stored in a memory card, compact disk, or a hard disk).
In general, after a large number of digital images are taken by a user, these images will be stored in a memory card, transmitted to a hard disk of a personal computer, or duplicated as a photo compact disk. After accumulating the digital images over a long period of time, the number and types of the digital images stored in all formats of storing apparatus will be constantly increasing. If appropriate management and classification are not performed at this moment, these digital images will be stored in a state of chaos and disorder. Especially when a user wants to find a picture taken many years ago, it will be virtually a mission impossible if there is not a good image classification. Therefore, it is more than important to perform image classification.
Among the image classifying technologies, the conventional way is for the user to judge the image according to the content of the picture. However, the digital image classifying method, which requires human labor to distinguish all pictures is not just time-consuming, it is low in efficiency. Especially, when the number of the images is quite huge, it will be hard to finish the image classification if a more efficient and more automatized classifying method is not in place.
In addition, although the image classifying method performed by judging the file name of the image is already widely used. For example, the image search function provided by many internet portal sites is the best example. However, when a general user names the image file, the file name is not needed to be directly related to the content of the image. Thus, when the user uses this image search function, the condition of search error still frequently occurs. This classifying method is apparently not accurate enough. In practical applications, although the accuracy of search can be improved by capturing some characteristics of the image (e.g., the color), its application will be limited in the personal computer end and the server end, and the effect of automatically classifying the digital images could not be satisfactorily reached.
Therefore, the main scope of the invention is to provide a digital image classifying method and apparatus to solve the above problems.